Kids carry First Stage’s ‘Matilda’
In deciding to stage a full-length production of the musical “Matilda,” First Stage practiced what it preaches to theater students. Artistic director Jeff Frank and his collaborators have made bold choices.
The lively production I saw Sunday afternoon at the Marcus Center proved that several of those choices have paid off like winning lottery tickets.
There is no theater-for-young-audiences shorter adaptation of “Matilda.” First Stage is doing the whole megillah, same as Broadway. At two hours, 40 minutes (including intermission), it asks a lot of the youngest performers onstage, especially the girls playing the title role.
But the youngest performers are exactly what I loved most about the First Stage performance Sunday afternoon. You want a comparison? Their group scenes are like “Annie” meets “School of Rock,” aided by some snappy choreography from Jayne and Michael Pink.
Adapted from Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel, “Matilda” is the story of a bright girl who loves to read but is treated badly by her parents and the sadistic headmistress of her school. The only adults who care for her are the kind teacher Miss Honey (Elizabeth Telford) and a friendly librarian (Solana Ramirez-Garcia).
Three performers share the title role. The Matilda I saw, Reese Bell from Cedarburg, sang and moved confidently, including scenes where she is vividly telling a story to the librarian. I don’t how many hundreds or thousands of words she delivers in this show, but she owns them.
Bell was ably supported by the determined cast of young people, in particular Tryg Gunderson as Bruce, featured in one of the greatest burp scenes ever.
The original West End and Broadway productions of “Matilda” cast male performers as Miss Trunchbull, the physically imposing headmistress. But Frank turned to Kelly Doherty, a woman who has the height, vocal skill and acting chops for the part.
After watching Doherty on Sunday, I don’t ever want to see a man in this role again. Her exquisitely calibrated Trunchbull was a cruel commandant, a cat who knew exactly how long she could play with her prey.
The strong adult cast also included Jackson Evans, bringing a comic Joe Flaherty-style energy to Mr. Wormwood, Matilda’s con-man father; Molly Rhode as ridiculously vain Mrs. Wormwood; and Lyonel Reneau as both the noble Escapologist and the Russian mobster Sergei.
First Stage recommends this show for people ages 8 and older. That feels right. The potentially scariest moments are staged in a way that underlines that they are make believe. If you’re on the fence about your child, attention span for a longer show would be a bigger concern.
But here’s a warning: Children who love this musical might rush home with an urge to start reading more. That’s the power of “Matilda.”